Why you don't want to see SSSS written on your airport boarding pass
On arriving at an airport, there are a number of things a traveller does not want to see before a flight, including delays, baggage weight limits and long queues.
But the letters SSSS printed on a boarding pass could be considered worse than a long delay and is a sure sign of a nightmare trip ahead.
The code, which is in use at airports in the US, stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection.”
It could lead to a traveller being forced to undergo additional screenings, often for no apparent reason, as well as having their luggage searched, The Sun reported.
SSSS was brought in after the September 11 terror attacks and the individuals on the list are believed to be randomly selected.
The Transportation Security Administration said by continually purchasing one-way tickets or recently travelling to certain countries a passenger can find themselves with an SSSS code.
In June, Australian comedian Nazeem Hussain revealed how he was stopped at LA airport with SSSS on his boarding pass.
He said he was questioned for over an hour.
“I got to the front of the queue and they said, ‘Oh, you’ve got SSSS on your boarding pass, you’re going to have to wait until the whole plane boards before you and then we’ll frisk you and go through your bags and ask you serious questions’,” he told Sydney radio station Triple M.
